More Than Meets the Eye (An Ishqbaaz FF) ||✔||

11.

"Svetlana ke maksad ki asli wajah hain... uska pati, Inspector Kartik Dixit, uski 1 saal ki beti Anaisha aur 15 saal pehli hui dono ki beyhadh dukh-daayi maut." Roop revealed and began to narrate.

"17 saal pehle mere naam ek mithai ka dabba aaya tha. "Svetlana Kapoor aur Kartik Dixit ka Shubh Vivaah". Haaye rabba! Us din itna daant dikha-dikha ke muskura rahi thi humari Svetlana. Aur muskarati bhi kyoon na? Ladka sundar tha, hoshiyaar tha, Rudra se bhi bure jokes sunata tha likin achha tha. Bhagvaan kasam, kya pyaari jodi thi dono ki! Shivaay aur Anika se bhi zyaada pyaari. Phir unki zindagi mein ek teesri aa gayi." Roop flashed a sinister smirk at TejVi. "Teesri unki beti, An-ai-sha! Bilkul apni maa pe gayi thi. Badi-badi aankhein, gulabi gaal, apne baap ki laadli aur maa ki aankhon ka tara. Teeno ka hasta-khelta khushaal parivaar. Phir najaane kiski nazar lag gayi. Svetlana ka pati aur uski beti, bhagwaan unki aatma ko shaanti de, ek car accident mein maare gaye." 

The revelation hit the Oberois like a lightning bolt. All eyes immediately fell on Svetlana and from the look on her face, they knew this was the truth. 

But whome it hit the hardest was Omkara. He had never thought of Svetlana to be anything more than an embodiment of evil and the root-cause of all problems in his life. But the woman was once an adored daughter to her father, a protective and conscientious elder sister, a dearly loved wife to her husband and the mother to their child; all these relationships being snatched from her stripped her down to the woman he had known. The rugged exterior lined with shards of glass laced with poison, so dangerous that it would hurt anyone who neared her, was the only line of defence of her broken heart and soul. And who would know that better than him.

Sudden realisation hit Tej and he blurted, "Woh Inspector Kartik Dixit... Svetlana ka pati hain?!" 

"That means aap Inspector Dixit ko pehle se jaante hain!" Shivaay shrieked, drawing all attention to him and Tej.

"Tej, yeh Shivaay kya bol raha hain? Kaun hain yeh Kartik? Aur tum kaise jaante ho use?" Jahnvi questioned. 

"Arey re re, araam se parjaayiji. Itni jaldi-jaldi itne saare sawaal poochhengi toh Veerji jawaab kaise de paayenge." Roop interjected. "Thode jawaab apne bhatije ko bhi dene dijiye. Shivaay, Svetlana tujhe sab bata hi diya hoga toh apne gharwalon ko bata ki uske pati ka inse aur KM se kya lena dena hain. Chal shuru ho ja." 

Shivaay looked at Svetlana who nodded a 'no' but Roop's goons loaded their guns, pressing them into the backs of his family members. He hissed and swallowed hard but had no other option than to comply with Roop's demand. 

"Late Inspector Kartik Dixit ke father bhi KM mein kaam karte they, died in the fire as well. Kartik aur Svetlana apne fathers ki death ke baare mein jaanna chahte the aur clues dhoondh rahe the taaki case reopen karke investigation phirse karwa sake. Case reopen hone wala likin usse ek din pehle... Inspector Dixit met with an accident." Shivaay told them.

"Accident? Ya sochi-samjhi chaal?" Roop alleged.

"Kehna kya chahti ho?" Shakti sneered, gritting his teeth.

"Zaraa ginti kijiye, KM ke baare aaj tak jitne logon ne pata lagane ki koshish ki hain, unka kya haal hua hain? Aapka apna chachera bhai Vishaal Singh Oberoi, usne sawaal uthaya toh use ghar aur business se bedakhal kar diya. Us Ashok ko pata chala Oberoi Empire KM ke insurance ke paison se bana hain aur usne yeh baat media ke saamne laane ki koshish ki toh use bhi naukri se nikaal diya aur usne khudko aag laga di. Woh ladki Ishana..."

Om head snapped up along with ShivRu hearing the name. 

"Ishana is sab mein kahaan se aa gayi?!" Om yelled.

"Sadke jaawaan!" Roop clapped her hands together. "Tu Ishana ko bhi jaanta hain?"

"Oh my Mata, ab yeh kaun hain?" Pinky asked, struggling to keep up with information being surfaced.